Posts Tagged ‘What’s In A Name’

Mrs. Publicist: 15th of the month – when Peter Abrahams (aka Spencer Quinn) talks about a character name or two from one of his novels. Got anything from RUFF VS. FLUFF, which will be your next published book? Which, I should point out, is middle-grade although adults with fake ID can read it. Those in need of fake ID please meet me being the 7 Eleven after this is over.

Pete: Well, how about the eleven-year-old twins from the book, Harmony and Bro, since they’re the leading human characters in the story?

Mrs. P: The leading animal characters being the narrators, Queenie and Arthur.

Pete: Exactly.

Mrs. P: Two narrators and twin main characters – do I see a pattern?

Pete: There are certainly patterns in my work, some even intentional. Anyway, Harmony and Bro obviously aren’t identical twins, but fraternal. In fact, Harmony’s a year ahead in school, a source of endless frustration to Bro. Her name just popped into my head. It seemed absolutely right to me. Ideas coming out of nowhere – that’s always been the very best thing about this job. For the other twin, I knew I needed something contrasting. He’s the brother. Hmm. How about Bro? I liked it! And right away I knew that hidden in his bro-ness was something surprisingly sensitive. Also – Bro wouldn’t be his real name, just the name everyone calls him. Therefore he had to have a reason for avoiding his real name. The threads of story started their weaving.

Mrs. P: What’s Bro’s real name? Why doesn’t he like it?

Pete: The answers are in the book!

Mrs. P: Now available for preorder, which is my job to say. See you next month for more of What’s In A Name, and happy holidays!

Mrs. Publicist: Fifteenth of the month, so time to discuss a character name from one of the books by Peter Abrahams aka Spencer Quinn. How about we do Arthur, who narrates half of RUFF VS. FLUFF, first in your new Queenie and Arthur series? And let me add that although it’s middle-grade, adults with fake ID can read it, too, and it’s available for preorder. Okay, Arthur – that strikes me as a somewhat different type name from Chet, narrator of the Chet and Bernie series, and even more so from Bowser, narrator of the Bowser and Birdie series.

Pete: You’re so right! First, I really can’t write a character until I have the name. Sometimes I use a fill-in name for an early chapter or two, but by then, thank the lord of fiction, the right name comes. Arthur is not an energetic dog like Chet and Bowser. He’s no athlete, not in particularly good shape, perhaps somewhat lazy. A tweed jacket, pipe-smoking type – but only metaphorically. I thought the name Arthur suggested all that. Lurking in the background, I suppose, is Arthur the elephant from the old Babar series – do little kids still read that? The point is there’s something heavy about the name, at least for me. As for Arthur’s heart – also lurking in the background is the dude who pulled the sword from the stone.

Mrs. P: Are you saying that in the end there’s something heroic about Arthur?

Pete: No spoilers!

Mrs. P: In that case, see you next month for another edition of What’s In A Name!

Mrs. Publicist: Fifteenth of the month and therefore time for What’s In A Name, where Peter Abrahams (aka Spencer Quinn) discusses a character name from one of his books. What’ll it be this time, Pete?

Pete: How about Queenie from RUFF VS. FLUFF?

Mrs. P: Great! First I should explain that RUFF VS. FLUFF is the first in the new Queenie and Arthur middle-grade series. Adults may read them, but only with fake ID. (To get your fake ID come to the alley behind my office building after hours.) Pub date is March 26, 2019. Available now for pre-order – then you don’t have to worry! And now – Queenie.

Pete: Queenie handles half the narration in the series. Arthur does the other half. Arthur’s a dog, Queenie a cat. You never want to be too on-the-nose with a name, but … “Queenie” came to me right away and felt inevitable.

Mrs. P: Thanks, Pete! See you next month for another edition of What’s In A Name!

Mrs. Publicist: Whoa! Past the time in the month where Peter Abrahams (aka Spencer Quinn) and I discuss a character name from one of his novels. How about Queenie, who handles half the narration of RUFF VS. FLUFF, first in the new Queenie and Arthur middle-grade series?

Pete: First, may I say adults with fake ID can also read the series, coming in March 2019? For fake ID, please contact the appropriate bot. As for Queenie’s name: Every morning she sips up some fresh cream from a white, gold-bordered China saucer (served by Bertha, the cook at the struggling Blackberry Hill Inn in Vermont). What else to call her but Queenie? The name was the very first thing that came to me when I began dreaming up the series.

Mrs. P: Is it true that one day there’s a bit of a problem with the cream?

Pete: Shh! That’s in book 2. We’re not there yet.

Mrs. P: Thanks, Pete! See you next month for another edition of What’s In A Name. Maybe a character from THE RIGHT SIDE? Goody, perhaps?